Whitecaps stun Timbers, 4-3, to snap 23-game streak at home

Vancouver Whitecaps defending against Portland Timbers on Sunday in Portland. Whitecaps won the game 4-3.

Photograph by: Thomas Boyd
, The Oregonian

PORTLAND – They didn’t silence the crowd. No one does that at noisy Providence Park, the intimate home of the Portland Timbers.

But the Vancouver Whitecaps did stun the Timbers and their singing, drum-beating chainsaw army of 20,000 on Sunday, taking a 4-1 lead en route to a streak-snapping 4-3 shocker.

It was the Caps first MLS win over their Cascadia rival (they were 0-4-4 over the previous three seasons.) And it was the Timbers first home loss in 23 games, a stretch that dated back to March 3, 2013.

“It’s amazing (to get a win Portland),” said fullback Jordan Harvey, who was credited with the game-winner after his 49th minute strike found net inside the far post after tremendous feed from Pedro Morales.

After the final whistle the players went down to the end of the park where the 750 Vancouver supporters were gathered. They didn’t just salute the supporters; several players, most notably goalkeeper David Ousted and striker Erik Hurtado, where jumping up and down and frantically waving their arms.

“Obviously, it means a lot to us,” said a grinning Harvey. “You saw we were pretty excited afterwards. It’s a great victory. Three points and we’ll carry this into next week.”

It was also a nail-biter.

A 78th minute goal by substitute Gaston Fernandez and another in the 86th minute by Canadian international Will Johnson pulled the Timbers to within a goal and made the final 15 minutes far more tense than the Whitecaps would have liked. But Cascadia Cup games are rarely without drama.

And this one had lots of it, thanks to the withering late-game offensive by the Timbers, physical play all over the pitch and contentious officiating.

“If you’ve seen (Portland) play, I feel like they turn on in the 75th minute on, they really start pushing forward,” said Harvey. “They were just lumping balls into the box and we need to do better with that.”

Morales, the brilliant midfielder with the magical touch, scored twice on a pair of first-half penalties that had the 20,000 Portland fans livid, and set up the other two goals with pinpoint passes.

Hurtado, who grew up in nearby Beaverton and who was playing in front of dozens of family and friends, scored for the fourth time in four games. Harvey’s tally was his second of the season.

The win stretched the Caps unbeaten streak to six games (3-0-3) and left Vancouver (5-2-5) in fourth place in the Western Conference, one point behind Colorado.

Vancouver led 3-1 at the half, then appeared to have blunted the Timbers’ hopes of getting back into the game with the surprising Harvey goal just four minutes into the second half.

Hurtado found Morales out wide right and the Chilean playmaker drifted a long cross field pass that landed right at Harvey’s feet at the top of the box. Harvey took one step forward and blasted a low shot inside the far post, leaving a diving Donovan Ricketts no chance to get a hand on the ball.

“I was debating hitting it first time, but I think it would have ended up in the bleachers, so I’m glad I took a touch before I hit that one.”

The Timbers didn’t generate a whole lot over the next 20 minutes, but were all over the Caps in the final 15, generating several gilt-edged chances. Despite giving up the two late goals, Ousted also came up with some big saves.

“We’ll take it,” said a relieved Caps’ head coach Carl Robinson, who got into a post-game verbal battle with Portland head coach Caleb Porter. “The effort and determination showed by our guys was fantastic.

“We’re a team that can score goals. What I’ve got to work on is the defensive side with this group. That’ll take time. But I’ve said all along I’d like to win 4-3 rather than 1-nil.”

As entertaining and frantic as the finish was, it was a wild, bizarre, confounding and controversial first half.

The Timbers had all the early pressure and went up 1-0 in the third minute on a Maximialano Urruti strike from 20 yards out as he found a gaping hole in the Whitecaps defence.

Then it was the Kevin Stott show for much of the rest of the half as the referee was under siege by both clubs for fouls called or uncalled. Of course it didn’t help that players appeared to be diving all over the pitch.

But what really sent the Providence Park crowd into a frenzy of derisive catcalls was penalty calls on Diego Chara (15th minute for taking down Hurtado) and Jorge Villafana (26th minute for clipping the heel of Sebastian Fernandez).

Morales converted both penalties, going down the middle on the first and to Donovan Ricketts’ right as the Portland goalkeeper dove left on the second.

Those two shots were the only ones on target by the Caps through the first 30 minutes as they failed to generate much at all offensively.

In the 32nd minute, Timbers’ midfielder Diego Valeri, who hit a goalpost earlier, appeared to be taken down in the box, but Stott kept his whistle and his arm down, drawing even more catcalls from the Portland faithful.

A minute later, Hurtado gave the Caps a 3-1 lead. Morales, after a nice give-and-go on the right side with Fernandez, crossed a perfect low ball to the top of the six-yard box

Hurtado’s quick shot was stopped by a sliding Ricketts, but the ball rebounded back off Hurtado’s knee and into the empty net.

“The win felt great, on the road, in Portland,” said Hurtado. “Then just to score in front of my family friends where I grew up, is just icing on the cake.”

GAME ESSENTIALS

THE SKINNY

The Timbers pressed early and often, getting a goal from Maximiliano Urruti in the third minute and finding plenty of operating room in midfield and out on the flanks. But the Caps struck back with penalty kick scores from Pedro Morales in the 15th and 26th minutes after Portland players Diego Chara and Jorge Villafana where whistled for taking down Erik Hurtado and Sebastian Fernandez, respectively in the box. Hurtado made it 3-1 in the 37th minute and when fullback Jordan Harvey scored in the 49th minute, it looked like the Caps were home and cooled. But the Timbers were relentless over the final 20 minutes, getting goals from Gaston Fernandez (78th minute) and Will Johnson (86th) to make for a nervy finish.

BY THE NUMBERS

With the win, the Caps stretched their unbeaten streak to six games (3-0-3), their longest such run since joining MLS in 2011 . . . It also marked the first time the Caps have recorded back-to-back road wins. They defeated Columbus 1-0 on May 10 . . . Portland had a streak off 22 straight games at home without a loss snapped. They had last lost at home, 1-0 to Real Salt Lake, on March 9, 2013 . . . the Caps outshot Portland, 23-18, the fourth consecutive game they have had more attempts than their opponent . . . Erik Hurtado has three MLS starts this season and has a goal in each one. He has goals in four consecutive games if you also include his tally in the Canadian championship game vs. Toronto FC at B.C. Place.

MAGICAL MORALES

Pedro Morales, the Caps’ $1.4-million designated player from Chile, continues to enthrall with his playmaking ability and his precision on penalties. He scored twice from the spot on Sunday, giving him five goals on the season. “I usually just go by feel and try to decide at the moment where I want to go,” said Morales, who shot down the middle on the first penalty and then went inside the right post on the second. He also set up the other two goals with brilliant balls to Hurtado and Harvey. He now has five assists on the season, best on the Caps and tied for second in MLS. “I brought him here to be a difference-maker and he certainly is a difference-maker,” said coach Carl Robinson. “It’s great to watch.”

JUST SAYING HELLO

Robinson and Portland coach Caleb Porter appeared to be engaged in a some verbal jousting as both clubs were leaving the field after the game. Asked what was going on, Robinson smiled and insisted “nothing.” But they did have to be separated. “Naw, listen, I’ve got a huge amount of respect for Caleb. I’m a young coach, he’s got more experience than me. I want to learn from Caleb. The system that he plays is what I want to do. I’m sure we’ll argue now and then and that’s what happens. But the respect I’ve got from him is very big.”

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